Hallie loved ranch life and inherited her father’s sense of adventure. Some of her favorite memories living on the ranch were cattle drives, riding her horse to the one-room schoolhouse and feeding cattle. At four years old she learned how to let the clutch out slowly on the pickup so her father could push the hay bales off the back. From these experiences, Hallie gained not only a love of adventure but a sense of courage that served her well for life. It was because of Hallie’s love for adventure, courage, and perpetual curiosity that her father nicknamed her “Pill”. As a child “Pill” no doubt got into her fair share of mischief.
Hallie’s family moved to Clayton, New Mexico for her to attend middle school. She joined the band and loved playing the clarinet and taking piano lessons. Hallie also met her future husband in school at Clayton, Robert Wayne Davis, fondly known as Boots. They fell in love and were married on December 30th, 1949.
Hallie and Boots had four children and she devoted her life to being a good mother and wife. By all measures, she was remarkable and as perfect a mother as anyone could ask for. Hallie’s house was the one to visit as she always had an assortment of fresh baked goods.
Hallie continued her love of music and played piano and sometimes organ for the First United Methodist Church. Hallie infused a love of music in her children and encouraged each of them to play an instrument.
Hallie loved her children greatly and spent the majority of her life selflessly guiding them. She felt it was important to stay home until her youngest child reached school age. But in her 30’s Hallie went back to college at West Texas State University to become a teacher. She spent part of the summer taking classes in Canyon, Texas, and drove back and forth for classes, two or three times a week during the school year until she graduated. She accomplished this undertaking while still having small children at home. But as she planned, the money she made teaching helped fund college educations for her four children.
Hallie taught in the Clayton school system for 22 years. She believed teaching was the best job in the world, probably because she adored being with children. In return, her students adored her as well. Hallie’s patience, kindness, knowledge, and keen intuition made her a great teacher. In 1981, she was named “Teacher of the Year” at Alvis Elementary. Retirement led Boots and Hallie to a new home in Green Valley, Arizona.
Hallie’s parents took her to Glacier National Park for summer vacation when she was 11.
This place captured their hearts and would become Hallie’s favorite place in the world. She spent summers in Glacier for most of her years. She loved to hike, fish, and play cards. She also enjoyed time on and in the water and was an avid water skier in her younger years. Throughout her life, her love of adventure never waned and there was never a hike or trip she didn’t want to take. She instilled her adventurous spirit in her children.
Hallie is survived by her four children, Rick, Debbie, Brian, and Sheri, and Sheri’s husband Steve; five grandchildren Adalina, Caroline, Spenser, Cassidy, and Brandon; and two great-grandchildren, Kaylie and Porter. Hallie was loved by everyone, and it was said by those that knew her, “Hallie was one of the sweetest people you could ever know”. She met the world with a positive spirit that continued to the very last of her days. She woke up happy each day and always thought of others before herself. She was truly a perfect example of how to be a good person.
An interment will be held at a later date in Clayton, New Mexico along with her husband Boots. Hallie and Boot’s celebration of life will be held in Montana in summer 2022.
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